Tube-cleaning tool.



C. M. GRIFFIN.

TUBE CLEANING TOOL.

- APPLICATION FILED FEB.20, 1 91s.

1,280,443. Patented Oct. 1, 1918.

INVENTOR ATTOR/V Y.

m: mmms PETERS 50.. Pnom-u-mm. wAsmNcruN, n, c

cnoIL MQG IFFIN, or NEWBURGH, New YORK.

To. all whom it may concern: 1 I

Be it known that I, CECIL M. GRIFFIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of N ewburgh,,in the county of Orange and State of NewYork,-have invented anew and useful Improvement in Tube-Cleaning Tools; and I do hereby; declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

cleaning tubes of condensers and the like, and has for its principal obj e'ct the provision of such a cleaner that will have a floating adjustable action, so that it will pass easily over irregularities in the surface of the tube and still have a stiff gripping or cutting action upon the interior surface of the tubes to clean or scrape out any scale or other matter which may be fastened to such interior surface.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple and efficient tool of this class, whichwill be durable and which can be easily applied in the tubes tobe cleaned, and which will clean the tubes completely and uniformly, and in a rapid and convenient manner.

To these ends my invention consists, generally stated, of a rod or piston member having a helical scraper plate secured thereto in such a manner as to permit a floating action, as hereinafter more specifically set forth and described and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of my scraper shown in a sectioned tube;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the tube in cross section; 40-

Fig. 3 is a view on the line 33 of Fig, 2; and

Fig. 4 is a rear end view of the device within a tube.

Like symbols of reference herein indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

As illustrated in the drawings A represents my improved cleaning tool, which is provided with a central bar or shank member 2, having a piston or head 3 at one end of the same, terminating in an inclined boss 7.

Extending around the bar 2 is a resilient scraper blade 1, which is in the form of a coiled spring and bent to such shape for providing helix or spiral portions 5 around such Specification of Letters Patent.

This invention relates to cleaning tools, l and more particularly to.cleaning tools-for pron.

:rUBn-oLEAnrNG rooL.

shank. The scraper member 1 when bent the bar 2. i

I The cleaner or scraper is operated on and secured tothe bar 2 by the portion 8, which is loosely mounted on the shank of the headed pin or rivet 4, which in turn is rigidly secured adjacent the forward end of such bar. The front end of the scraper member 1 is free of the bar to allow for free expansion 01' contraction of such member.

The free end 6 of the spiral or helix members 5 are adjacent the head 3, and such spiral or helix portions are larger than the tube B in which they are adapted to be inserted for the purpose hereinafter described, with such diameter depending upon the tension desired for operating in such tube. Of course it will be understood that there are various sizes of tubes and that various sizes of cleaners will be used depending on the size of the tube to be. cleaned.

The cross sections of the scraper or blade 1 decrease rearwardly toward its free ends so that the tension will be uniform throughout the length of the scraper 1.

The scraper blade 1 is so shaped that its cutting edge or the forward edge only comes in contact with the inner surface of the tube being cleaned since a clearance is formed back of the cutting edge by beveling the blade 1.

When it is desired to place the tool A within the tube B, it is simply pushed in front end first, the helix portions 5 of the scraper 1 being compressed and diametrically expanded until they conform to the size of the tube, so that such coils will be sprung against the inner surface of such tube and bear against the same. After the tool A is thus in position at one end of the tube B, and it is desired to clean the interior surface of such tube, water under a high pressure, through a nozzle (not shown) is passed into such tube to push said cleaner through. By forcing the tool A through the tube B, it will be observed that the coils or helical portions of the scraper 1 will scrape or loosen all the dirt, scale or other foreign matter from the interior surface of the tube.

It will thus be seen that my improved tube cleaning tool is capable of being easily and cheaply manufactured and is ready for instant use when required. The tools will d- 7 Patented Oct. 1, 1918.. Application filed February 20, 1918 Serial No. 218,206. i

just themselves to conform to the size of the tube and are capable of being carried along with the other -to0ls,-and Will'ilOb re-' quire any adjustment to use the same, While practical experience With the same'has demonstrated that tubes can robe cleaned cheaply and quickly, and with a great amount of saving in time and labor. While I have shown and described one may be made by one skilled in the-va-rtwithiout departing ,from the spirit of my inven- 15 tion: as defined@in--the;appended-claim.

' What Iiclaimds:

A tool adapted to be-inserted initubesior pipes for cleaning the same, comprising a central bar having an enlarged head on its bladehaving its forward end loosely mounted for. sliding movement upon the shank of said pin, said blade being bentaroundsaid abarmorerthanpnce ito form rearvvardly extending helical portions of a greater diam- (flterdthan the diameteraofwtheisaidienlarged E ea a In; testimony avhered'f al {the said 1012011; GRIFFIN havehereunto'set myj'hand; i

=.GEGIL M. "GRIFFIN.

Witnesses .AISEX GOLF/MAN,

GEORGE ;B. Oven-mean.

Naples of th ispatent [may :be-. obtained oforr'fiveecents each, {by addressing rthe. Commissioner of Patents.

.washington D. 1'3. 1 

